John A. Campbell was born in 1857 in Texas and married Frankie F. Phillips on 1887 in Goliad, Texas. The Austin City Directories list him as a clerk at Morley Brothers from 1887-1892 and a prescription clerk at A. Gieson & Company from 1893-1896, John H. Chiles, Druggist from 1897-1899, and C.O. Yates, Druggist from 1900-1901. He is also listed as the secretary (1895-1896) and president (1897-1900) of the Austin Pharmaceutical Association. Census records indicate that the Campbell's had one son, Dillard Colby Campbell, in the late 1880s. After the death of John (Frankie is listed as a widow in 1903 Austin City Directory) Frankie was remarried to Wesley M. Way.
The cover of the ledger reads "Campbell's Rx Book". The ledger contains "recipes" for various medicinal compounds such as the "Sun" Cholera Mixture, "Squibbs" Cholera Mixture, Eczema Cure, Wilson McKinly Horse Powder and Campbell's Shoo-Skeeter (which appears to be an insect repellent containing pennyroyal oil, cedar oil, citronella oil, and gasoline). The last two pages of the ledger appear to be written by John's widow and contain information about the military career's of her father Layfette Phillips, her second husband Wesley M. Way and her son Colby Dillard Campbell.
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Donated by the great-grandson of Campbell.
John A. Campbell Ledger (AR.1994.031). Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, Texas.
Donor #: DO/1984/077
Donation Date: 1984